made in the projects
slave to my progress
slave to my progress
Oh, she is not surprised at the girl’s beauty, when she finally does come into the light.
The green eyes with thick, dark lashes, the easy, pretty curved of her face and the nimble lightness of her legs - O is smart enough to realize that most pretty things have teeth, to fend off those that might eat them.
Distance closes between them until O has to look down to meet the girl’s eyes. Maybe it seems demeaning, but what can she do? She is young and her too-long legs still hold her up like stilts, taller than she would ever need to be; almost a full hand separates them in height, yet O’s respect is not grudging. She can appreciate a girl with power. The spine it takes to keep commoners in line.
And it is part of the reason she does not argue against shedding her magic, though it is not without a brief, hesitant stare: after the moment passes, she begrudgingly accepts and lets the glamour slip from her shoulders like water. First her mouth forms, then her two eyes (the third still hidden), then the phantasmic edges of her paint markings. They smooth and sharpen into solidity. If there is any emotion that rises in her at the once-over the girl gives her, it is only amusement. She would do the same.
But, perhaps, would not be so obvious in her jealousy.
You can steal anything from me, says O, almost smirking, except that. It is not in any way a joke. There is nothing more precious to her than the hurlbat, with its shark-sharp slick of teeth and deep-dark leather-bound handle: she does not mind being poor, or hungry, or sick, as long as It is there to keep her company. Losing it would be like a losing like a limb.
Like losing the only blessing she has.
She does not say anything to Aghavni’s invitation, only ducks her head and follows. In the marbled darkness it is hard to make out what is and isn’t real, and for a moment, she feels starkly out of place, too young and too small to be of any importance. But as she follows the girl, the hallways narrow and the murmuring noise from the other room grows louder, and suddenly her curiosity burns brighter than her sheepishness.
@aghavni | "speech" | notes: <3
